Book Title: Trust
Author: Hernan Diaz
Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery
GoodReads Rating: 3.85/5
Best Selling List: New York Times Bestseller, Pulitzer Prize Winner, Booker Prize Longlist
Introduction:
Trust is a novel by Hernan Diaz that explores the mystery of a 1937 Wall Street scandal and the competing narratives of its protagonists.
The novel, which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2022, is a literary puzzle that engages the reader in a quest for the truth and confronts the deceptions of money, power, and intimacy.
In this review, I will summarize the plot, highlight the key takeaways, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the novel.
Summary:
The novel consists of four parts, each presenting a different version of the story of Benjamin and Helen Rask, a wealthy couple who rose to the top of the financial world in the 1920s, and Andrew and Mildred Bevel, their friends and rivals who also amassed a fortune in the same era.
The first part, Bonds, is a successful 1937 novel by Harold Vanner, a journalist and novelist who was close to the Rasks and the Bevels. Vanner’s novel depicts the Rasks as a cold and calculating pair who manipulated the market and caused the crash of 1929, and the Bevels as a loyal and loving couple who suffered from the Rasks’ betrayal.
The second part, My Life, is an unfinished autobiography by Andrew Bevel, who attempts to restore his reputation and his wife’s image after Vanner’s novel. Bevel portrays himself as a self-made man who followed his principles and values, and his wife as a gentle and supportive woman who helped him in his career.
The third part, A Memoir, Remembered, is a confession by Ida Partenza, a young woman who was hired by Bevel to ghostwrite his autobiography. Ida reveals that she became fascinated by Mildred, who was much more intelligent and sophisticated than Bevel described her, and that she secretly stole Mildred’s diary from a Swiss sanatorium where she died of cancer.
The fourth part, Futures, is Mildred’s diary, which offers a surprising and revealing account of her life, her marriage, and her involvement in the financial world. Mildred emerges as a shrewd and visionary woman who had a complex relationship with both her husband and Vanner, and who may have had a hand in writing Bonds.
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Key Takeaways:
Trust is a novel that challenges the reader to question the reliability and validity of different sources of information, and to examine the motives and biases behind them.
The novel shows how facts can be distorted, omitted, or fabricated by those who have the power and the means to do so, and how the truth can be elusive and subjective.
The novel also explores the themes of money, power, intimacy, and perception, and how they affect the personal and professional lives of the characters.
The novel exposes the corruption and greed of the financial elite, and the consequences of their actions on the society and the economy.
The novel also depicts the struggles and sacrifices of the women who lived in the shadow of their husbands, and the ways they asserted their agency and identity.
Strengths:
One of the strengths of the novel is its innovative and intricate structure, which creates a suspenseful and engaging reading experience.
The novel uses metafictional techniques, such as a novel within a novel, an autobiography, a confession, and a diary, to present multiple and conflicting perspectives on the same events.
The novel also uses intertextual references, such as quotes, letters, newspaper articles, and historical documents, to add authenticity and complexity to the story.
The novel keeps the reader guessing and curious about the truth, and invites them to compare and contrast the different versions of the story.
Another strength of the novel is its rich and vivid characterization, which brings the characters to life and makes them memorable and realistic.
The novel portrays the characters with depth and nuance, revealing their flaws, secrets, desires, and emotions.
The novel also captures the historical and social context of the 1920s and 1930s, and the atmosphere and mood of the era.
The novel uses descriptive and evocative language, and incorporates details of the culture, fashion, music, and art of the time.
Weaknesses:
One of the weaknesses of the novel is its length and complexity, which may make it difficult and demanding for some readers.
The novel is over 400 pages long, and contains many characters, events, and details that may be hard to follow and remember.
The novel also requires the reader to pay close attention and to think critically and analytically, which may not suit everyone’s taste and preference.
Another weakness of the novel is its lack of emotional connection and empathy, which may make it hard for some readers to care about the characters and their fate.
The novel focuses more on the intellectual and conceptual aspects of the story, and less on the emotional and psychological ones.
The novel does not offer a clear or satisfying resolution or moral, and leaves many questions unanswered and open to interpretation.
Conclusion:
Trust is a novel that offers a fascinating and challenging exploration of the nature and meaning of truth, and the role and influence of money, power, intimacy, and perception in shaping it.
The novel is a masterful and original work of historical fiction, literary fiction, and mystery, that will appeal to readers who enjoy complex and sophisticated stories, and who are interested in the history and culture of the 1920s and 1930s.
The novel is a remarkable achievement by Hernan Diaz, who proves himself as one of the most talented and inventive writers of our time.
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